RCP 705 - Resp Therapy Practicum II

1. Manage time in completing assigned duties within the clinical shift.
   1. Perform assigned therapies at the scheduled times.
   2. Prioritize respiratory care procedures when procedure times conflict.
   3. Use clinical time effectively to enhance student learning.
2. Communicate effectively with patients and other health care practitioners.
   1. Demonstrate a professional attitude when dealing with patients and other health care practitioners
   2. Express oneself using proper oral communication skills.
   3. Utilize written communication skills which will help the respiratory care practitioner effectively communicate with physicians, nurses and other health care practitioners.
3. Perform routine respiratory care therapies under direct supervision of an instructor.
   1. Administer Intermittent Positive Pressure Breathing Therapy.
   2. Provide Humidity and Aerosol Therapy.
   3. Initiate and monitor Oxygen Therapy.
   4. Perform Postural Drainage and Percussion Therapy.
   5. Administer Hand Held Aerosol Therapy.
   6. Initiate Incentive Spirometry Therapy.
   7. Perform nasotracheal, orotracheal, and endotracheal suctioning.
4. Evaluate effectiveness of therapies administered to patients.
   1. Identify the goals and objectives of therapies given.
   2. Monitor heart rate and rhythm and breathing rate and pattern.
   3. Perform auscultation on patient to assess effectiveness of therapies.
   4. Describe normal and abnormal breath sounds.
   5. List causes of abnormal breath sounds.
   6. Evaluate whether the goals and objectives of a therapy are being met when a therapy has been given.
5. Document all care provided.
   1. Record patient medical information in proper section of patient medical record.
   2. Document according to respiratory therapy departmental protocols.
   3. Correct mistakes in a patient record properly.
   4. Use only hospital approved abbreviations.
6. Describe to your instructor the relationship of pathophysiology to therapeutic intervention for all therapies administered.
   1. Describe how a respiratory care therapy will improve a patient’s condition based on the pathology of the patient’s disease process.
   2. Explain how the combination of different respiratory care procedures may benefit a patient.
   3. Describe the changes in physiology caused by routine respiratory care procedures.
7. Report on the clinical usefulness of information obtained form medical literature.
   1. Use the Index Medicus to search for articles on a particular topic.
   2. Identify common journals used in pulmonary medicine.
   3. Explain whether the hypothesis of an article is supported by the data presented in it.
   4. Recognize whether an article justifies changing the methods of a respiratory care procedure.
8. Monitor the effectiveness of disinfection and sterilization processes for respiratory care equipment.
   1. Disinfect equipment between patient use.
   2. State different agents which can be used to disinfect equipment.
   3. State different agents and methods which are used to sterilize equipment.
   4. Determine if equipment is properly disinfected or sterilized.
9. Assure that therapeutic goals are met by care administered.
   1. Identify therapeutic goals of ordered therapies.
   2. Develop plan of care designed to accomplish therapeutic goals.
   3. Suggest appropriate therapy for patient’s needs.
   4. Assess patient progress toward therapeutic goals over course of time therapies have been administered.
   5. Determine if current therapies are meeting therapeutic goals.
   6. Evaluate consistency of therapeutic goals with indications of ordered care.
10. Suggest modify respiratory care based on patient needs.
    1. Identify persons who would benefit from modes of respiratory care.
    2. Determine if therapeutic goals are being met by currently ordered respiratory care.
    3. Identify modifications to therapy which could benefit patients.
    4. Contact physicians to discuss proposed modifications to care.
    5. Recommend modifications, discontinuation or addition of therapies which will benefit persons with pulmonary problems.
    6. Initiate ordered changes to therapy.
    7. Evaluate appropriateness of changes made.
11. Evaluate equipment to assure proper function.
    1. Describe how routine respiratory care equipment functions.
    2. Test equipment for proper function before using on patients.
    3. Troubleshoot respiratory care equipment when it malfunctions.
    4. Evaluate equipment when it malfunctions.
    5. Decide when to remove respiratory care equipment from service when it malfunctions.
12. Determine whether the type and dosage of drugs are appropriate to any patient care situation.
    1. State the proper dosages and modes of action of the following types of drugs: Bronchodilators, Mucolytics, Neuromuscular Blocking Agents, Vasoconstrictors.
    2. Describe the patient populations which would benefit from the cardiopulmonary drugs.
    3. Describe the potential side effects of the cardiopulmonary drugs.
    4. Use corrective action if a patient shows side effects of a drug during administration of that drug.
    5. Document any adverse reactions to drugs given.
13. Perform radial arterial puncture under direct supervision.
    1. Identify patients who are at high risk of delayed clotting after arterial puncture.
    2. Prepare an arterial puncture kit for puncture safely and properly
    3. Perform radial arterial puncture according to DMACC protocol.
    4. Cover or cap needle in a safe manner so there is no risk of accidental puncture to student or instructor.
    5. Seal and ice sample in proper manner.
    6. Transport sample to blood gas lab in a safe manner.
    7. Utilize Universal Precautions with regard to blood-borne pathogens.
14. Obtain blood samples from indwelling arterial and venous lines under direct supervision.
    1. Identify the potential locations for an arterial line.
    2. Differentiate between an arterial line, central line and Swan-Ganz line.
    3. Obtain blood samples from arterial lines using the waste syringe technique.
    4. Obtain blood samples from arterial lines using the “Safe Draw” technique.
15. Analyze arterial and mixed venous blood samples for Ph, PCO2 and PO2 under direct supervision.
    1. Assure analyzer is properly calibrated.
    2. Insert blood in blood gas analyzers using proper technique.
    3. Assure that results of blood gas Ph analysis are accurate and precise.
    4. Interpret the results of arterial blood gas - Ph data to instructor.
    5. Recommend appropriate changes to oxygen administration and ventilation on arterial blood gas - Ph results.
    6. Contact physician or physician assistant if blood gas results require immediate attention.
    7. Practice safety with regard to blood-borne pathogens.
    8. Document arterial blood gas results according to departmental protocol.